Title: One of the Good Days
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Peter Carlisle
Fandom: Doctor Who/Blackpool
Rating: PG-13
Table: Buffet 2, fc_smorgasbord
Prompt: 69, Library
Author's Note: Slight spoilers for Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Peter Carlisle. Please do not sue.

***


"There's something about libraries that's very soothing," Peter remarked to the Doctor, glancing over at his lover as they settled themselves into two of the comfortable leather chairs near a window. "They're a good place to settle down and think."

"Somehow I can't see you spending time thinking in a library," the Doctor teased, a slight smile on his lips. "I could more easily picture you in a coffee shop, leaning back in your chair with a scowl on your face as you go over the facts in your mind."

"I did that quite a bit when I was on the police force," Peter laughed, nodding in agreement with the Time Lord's words. "Though I'm not sure about the scowl."

"I love little shops," the Doctor said, his voice reminiscent. "There are so many of them on Earth -- all these lovely little places that can be treasure troves if you look around them enough. That's one of the things I love about being on Earth."

"Don't other planets have little shops?" Peter asked, his tone curious. "You've told me that there are a lot of other planets that are quite like Earth. I already know there are some that aren't like it at all," he added, repressing a shiver.

Some of the places they'd already been hadn't been much to his liking. Though it had definitely been an adventure to be able to see those places, it had been more than a little disconcerting to realize that there were so many other different planets in the galaxy.

He'd never really known just how vast the world was before he'd met the Doctor. And in some ways, he felt that he'd been more comfortable not knowing.

There had been several times already in the course of their travels that Peter had felt very small and insignificant, as though he didn't matter in the world. How could he, alongside all of the different worlds that had existed long before him, and would be here long after he was gone?

"Sometimes all of those worlds make me feel so small," he murmured, not looking over at the Doctor. "They matter. They have significance in the universe. I don't. I'm just a minute speck of dust that's going to disappear without having really done anything."

"Peter, don't say that," the Doctor said softly, reaching out to take Peter's hand in his and give it a reassuring squeeze. "Of course you've done things. You've made a huge difference to a lot of people on Earth through your police work. And now .... you're traveling with me."

"You make much more of a difference in the universe than I ever could," Peter objected, shaking his head. "I could never live up to everything you've done."

"You don't have to, love," the Doctor whispered, squeezing Peter's hand again. "All you have to do is be with me. That's an accomplishment enough, seeing that no one else has ever been able to do that. Just being strong enough to have a life with me makes you a hero in my eyes."

Peter blushed, laughing softly and then looking around with an embarrassed expression on his face. "I hope no one heard that," he muttered, his blush intensifying. "I'm not a hero, Doctor. I never have been. Just a man trying to do the best he can."

"You don't need to be anything more than that," the Time Lord told him, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. "You know, this library is rather nice -- though I wish it was possible for me to show the largest library in the universe."

"Why isn't it possible?" Peter asked, brows raising in question. "Is it not there any more? You've said something about it before, but you never explained why we can't go."

"It's been taken over by .... by something that it's best no one runs into again," the Doctor murmured, his voice low-pitched so that he wouldn't be overheard. This time, he was the one who looked around, a bit nervously, making sure that no one had caught his words.

Peter nodded, not pressing the Doctor for any more of an explanation. If the Time Lord wanted to talk about what had happened, then he would -- and this really wasn't the place for it, at any rate. It wasn't something that most people would understand.

But to his surprise, the Doctor began to speak again, in a voice not much above a whisper. "Too many people died because of them, Peter. The library is now closed off to anyone -- it's not safe for any kind of life form to be there. I won't have any more deaths caused by those .... creatures."

He wanted to ask just what had happened, but he knew better. The look on the Doctor's face was one of combined regret and anger, and he didn't want to be on the wrong side of that.

"I'll tell you all about it someday," the Doctor promised, finally letting go of his hand. "It was a wonderful library, Peter, All the books in the world -- literally. Any book you could have possibly wanted to read was there." He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes. "I miss it."

"Maybe there'll be another one someday," Peter told him, wishing that he could have seen the place that the Doctor was speaking of. "One that you can share with me. Though I'm glad you got away from this one intact."

"So am I." The Doctor's smile was wry; there was a dreamy, faraway look in his eyes, as though he was miles away in his mind. "Some days, no one dies, Peter. Never forget that, Peter. No matter what anyone might say to you."

"Did someone die there that you cared about?" Peter couldn't resist asking the question, even though he half-dreaded the answer.

He didn't want to know if there had been someone who the Doctor had deep feelings for. He didn't want to feel that there was someone in the Time Lord's past who he would never be able to compete with, someone who had been rendered perfect through death.

But the Doctor was shaking his head, a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "No, not a person who I cared deeply for. Someone who lied about being close to me in my future -- but still, someone who didn't die. Someone I managed to save -- in a way."

The words "in a way" sounded intriguing, but Peter didn't want to push the issue further. Wherever this library was -- or had been -- it obviously held memories for the Doctor, memories that he'd probably prefer not to stir up, at least not at the moment.

"It was one of the good days, Peter," the Doctor finally said, taking a deep breath and standing up. "A day when no one died. A day that I can feel good about."

He turned and held out his hand to his lover, pulling Peter to his feet and slipping an arm around his waist. "We might not be able to see that library, but there are plenty of other places we can go, love. I want to show you all of the wondrous places in the galaxy."

"All of them?" Peter asked with a smile. "There are probably far too many for us to be able to go to them all. After all, there's a whole universe to explore, past and present and future, and we don't have infinite time. But it could be fun to try."

"Then I suggest that we get on with it!" The Doctor's tone was bubbling with energy and enthusiasm, raising Peter's spirits to a new level. It was going to be exciting to see all these new places with the man he loved, places that he would never have dreamed existed before he met the Doctor.

The universe was indeed a vast place -- but he didn't have to feel insignificant in it. Not as long as he was loved by one of the most extraordinary men in that universe.

Yes, he might only be a small part of the universe they inhabited -- but he was the largest part of the Doctor's life, and that was enough for him. Twining his fingers through the Time Lord's, he led the way out of the library, eager for whatever adventure would come their way next.

***